As a company, Merely Theatre are known for stripped-back, sweaty Shakespeare. No gauche sets, frilly costumes or fussy props – just the actors, the audience and the text. Oh, and one more thing – they’re the first Gender-Blind classical rep company.

Ten actors rehearse in male-female pairs, so each set of parts can be played by both a man and a woman. One from each pair is then chosen for each performance. The result is both men and women playing both male and female characters.

Company actor Robert Myles said of the concept: “When Shakespeare was writing, men played both male and female characters. The only difference for us is that now, women do too.”

The company don’t draw attention to the cross-gender casting within the shows, instead looking to take the issue off the table. They then endeavour to tell the story with maximum clarity and energy, making Shakespeare as accessible to first-timers as it is rewarding to aficionados.

Artistic Director Scott Ellis said in a recent interview with The Stage, “We start with: ‘What does the character want? What is the character saying?’ If the actor happens to be male or female, as far as we’re concerned it doesn’t make any difference.”

This has enabled the company to commit to 50/50 casting long before much bigger theatre companies, playing their part in defining the next generation of theatre-making.

The tour continues from March until May, with dates in Eastbourne, St Albans, Taunton, Balham, Croydon, Cambridge, Northwich and Northern Ireland before concluding at the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh.

Follow Shakespeare Magazine

Latest Issue

Categories

Everyone knows “A rose by any other name…” from Romeo and Juliet. But that was by no means all Shakespeare had to say about the world’s most romantic flower. Let’s have a look at five quotes on the subject of roses…